


The Avatar's Day Off

by nooneshome12



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Kataang - Freeform, Letters, Sad!Aang, Suicidal Thoughts, set after comics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24767362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nooneshome12/pseuds/nooneshome12
Summary: Being stuck in Ba Sing Se all by himself for months has started to take its toll on the young Avatar, so when he finally gets a day off, he'll enjoy it if it's the last thing he does.Basically my idea of what would happen to Aang when he is alone with his thoughts, while it is Kataang, it's more so in the background.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	The Avatar's Day Off

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I decided to take a break from Zelda and try out ATLA, enjoy!

Silence was something that he wasn’t used to. So much so that it made him feel nervous, the only time it was ever this quiet was right before an ambush by Ozai rebels or a Anti-Avatar lunatic. Which is why one of the main reasons he liked to be around other people, usually the gang but if they weren't available, then he’d find the nearest acolyte and teach them about their adopted culture. It gave him the greatest joy to find other people who wanted to learn and live like his people did all those years ago. 

His friends were well aware of his distaste for silence, and most thought his reasons were that he was just a sociable person, and that was true. But, one of those friends, or girlfriend really, knew the real reason he hated silence. Silence usually meant no one else is around, meaning that left him alone, alone with his thoughts, and how he hated his thoughts.

For someone who was as happy and outgoing as him, most would assume his thoughts were the same, this wasn’t the case. His outgoing, bubbling personality was partially a front. A front to cover who he really was, a scared, anxiety riddled teenager who has had the world on his back since before he was even a teenager. His thoughts would always go to the Air Nomads first and foremost, but instead of the happy, enlightening things he tells to his friends or the acolytes, he thinks of the skeletons, their ashes that littered the temples like snow, how scared they were in their last moments. 

And how it was his fault.

His girlfriend made sure he knew that wasn’t true, almost once a week he would have a night terror about it. She would hear him, if she wasn’t already in bed with him, and sooth him as best she could, whispering in his ear while drawing circles on his back with her hands, telling him over and over again how it wasn’t his fault. He was never a good liar, but he somehow managed to fool her at least for the night, until the next time and it would start all over again. 

“I don’t deserve you.” He told her one night after he had calmed down. 

She giggled at his words, “You’re right. You deserve better.” 

Better? Yeah right, the man who plunged the world into a century long conflict where millions died and had his own people whipped off the face of the Earth. That guy deserves better than the best woman in the world? 

He groaned at his thoughts while covering his face with his pillow. This is what happens when he’s alone, he starts thinking. Not the thinking in his daily meetings with the Earth King or some mayor of one of the colonies, not the useful thinking where he tries to make up for his terrible mistakes all of those years ago. The thinking that made him wonder if he had even deserved to survive all of those years in the iceberg and not drown like he should have. 

Speaking of those meetings, today was his day off, another thing he usually enjoyed and another thing ruined by being alone. He’d spend his days off taking his girlfriend on a date or teaching a class to the acolytes, but today he couldn’t do any of those things. The Ba Sing Se Chapter of the acolytes was off on a spiritual retreat and all of his friends were gone. His girlfriend and her brother were at the South Pole helping rebuild their home after so many years away. His metalbending, blind friend was off teaching at her school. His fire lord friend was off ruling and his warrior friend was at the South Pole too.

This was probably the longest he had gone without seeing any of them. A month by himself was something he didn’t imagine when the last of his friends had left. He kept in contact with all of them, especially his girlfriend, getting weekly letters from her and he cherished everyone. He had one arrive last night but was half asleep and he had told himself that he had something to look forward to today. But even that didn’t make up for the knot in his stomach or the stubble he had on his face and scalp for not having shaved for almost a week at this point. Even with meeting with hundreds of dignitaries and diplomats over the past few days, he had never felt more alone. 

“Spirits Aang, stop doing this to yourself.” He said to himself, that was another thing he took to while alone. 

Aang got out of his bed, after hours of just laying there, staring at the ceiling or the empty side of his bed usually occupied by Katara. Just thinking her name made the knot in his stomach tighten, he had to stop doing this. 

Walking into the bathroom, he instinctively reached for his razor, but grabbed his tooth brush instead. “I'll do it tomorrow.” He said, repeating what he said the day before. 

Finished with the bathroom, he walked into the kitchen to make himself some tea. While he was waiting for the water to boil, he spotted the unopened letter with the emblem of the Water Tribe on the table. He rushed over and opened it like a child opening a present. 

“Dear Aang,  
I hope you have gotten into too much trouble while I’m away! Sokka and Suki both send their best wishes, Sokka made sure to tell you to try not to fall asleep in those meetings, that's his job! Anyway, I know in your last letter that you only have another week or two of meeting before you’re finally going to be free, so just hang in there, ok?” 

Aang always sent long letters, very long letters and Katara was no different. Her letter was almost two pages, front and back, telling him about all of the wonderful things that have been happening to her home. From Gran Gran and Pakku finally wedding after so many years to her hours spent teaching water bending to girls and boys alike. He was so wrapped up in her letter that he didn’t notice that he had finished it. He had to re read the last line.

“I can’t wait until I see you again, then I can really show you how much I miss you!  
Yours, Katara”

“I miss you too, I wish I could be there with you to see it for myself.”

Well, that wasted an hour. What now? Aang thought to himself, he really only planned in reading her letter today and nothing else. He ran through a list of what he could do with the remaining twelve hours of the day, and he could think of anything. He did know one thing, he couldn’t stay in the house. If he was outside, people would talk to him, he was the Avatar after all. Normally he would hate their attention but he needed a distraction. Distractions meant no thinking and no thinking meant he could try to enjoy his day off. A walk through the Middle Ring would do.

He really didn’t care about his appearance so he threw on one of his sparring tops just for decencies sake. After he covered himself, he grabbed his glider and walked out the front door.

**Author's Note:**

> Be sure to comment on anyway I can improve!


End file.
